I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin with six brothers and sisters, so when I found Rancho California in 1986 I felt right at home. Being one of the first eye doctors in town made it pretty easy to stay busy right away. Dr Bob Beck was the only dentist in town and he invited me to go down to Loreto Mexico for weekend medical clinics. This was fun because we flew right out of the old airport which used to be parallel to Diaz road on the west side of the 15 fwy. I had just gotten my pilots license so this flying doctors thing was right up my alley. That’s been going on for thirty-three years and we were just there last May.
Haiti is also another great place that needs medical help so when Dr Walt Combs asked me to go there thirty years ago I jumped in and have enjoyed serving there with that group of doctors ever since. My wife Bonnie comes on every trip too and works harder than me.
It was very easy to get involved with the community back in the early years, all you had to say was “yes”” and you were in. Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Club, Wine and Balloon, Tractor Race. It seemed everyone in town helped out and I have developed a lot of great friendships from being part of that.
I believe that God has really blessed this valley over the past fourty years in part because I knew the first leaders of Temecula and they had the same morals and ideals that the men who started this country had.
Temecula still is a place that feels safer and a little more protected than other parts of this country and that’s why I love living here.
Bussiness Philosophies:
My first real business plan was to do it like Nordstroms . No problem we can exchange that, fix ,that, return that. Just keep our patients happy and it has worked pretty good. Going to work everyday and loving what you do helps too. In any service business like Optometry the strategy is simple, just treat or take care of people like you would want to be treated or taken care of.
Favorite Sport:
Now it’s golf. Love that we have so many great courses out here. I am going back to Wisconsin next week to golf with my eighty eight year old dad. He still plays 18 holes every week, not too bad. I have a wife who can kick my butt in racketball so we don’t play that much anymore. But we both still waterski, snowski and golf.
Goals:
Haven’t thought about this much lately because I’m getting older but I would like to be a better Godly example for my wife and children.
Mentors:
Walt Combs and Keith Johnson. I have always looked up to these two men and have really learned a lot about doing the right thing from them. Dr Combs I mentioned earlier but Keith Johnson who was a banker in Temecula went to heaven a few years ago but was a really solid guy who I will always miss.
Favorite Readings :
Any autobiographies, I love history so if I have time to read I normally look for cool guys from the past.
Resume:
Undergrad from UW Madison so I am a Badger. O.D. from Southern Ca College of Optometry 1984. And recently I found an old paper clipping that I came in third place with my cat at a dog show when I was seven. So I’ve got that going for me.
Birthplace:
Antigo Wisconsin